This invention relates to a food steamer utensil, and more particularly to food steamer utensils wherein steam generated in one section of the utensil is brought into contact with the food in a food receptacle in another section, and the resulting condensate and drippings are collected in a third section of the utensil.
As steam cooking has become more popular in response to people seeking healthier ways to prepare their food, more such utensil appliances have been introduced to the market.
U.S. Pat. No. 222,296 discloses an early type of utensil which includes a pot in which a small amount of water is boiled off and food to be steamed is placed in the pot on a perforated trivet so that the food does not come in contact with the water.
In an effort to make self contained and self energized steam cooking utensils, several such products have been developed as shown is U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,509,412, 4,920,251, and 5,097,753, and to some extent, in West German patent 271,879 dated 8/1927.
The foregoing steaming appliances generally consist of a lower pan in which an electric heater is located that causes water surrounding the heater to boil. The food to be steamed is located on a perforated tray located above the water level and a cover is provided to prevent the steam from escaping. A typical drawback that such products encounter is that the condensate and drippings from the food return to the water surrounding the heater and cause an unpleasant odor when boiled off and also will cause staining of the heater and of the lower tray. To avoid and resolve the foregoing and other problems, the patentees of these utensils in the aforementioned U.S. and German patents have devised various means to divert the condensate from the water slated to be boiled off. The resulting structures have not been fully satisfactory.